Alfbed h



.(No Mode'l.)

, A.- H. DEATH. FEEDING APPARATUS FOR SGUTGHING 0R FIBER CLEANING MACHINES.

No. 385,800. Patented June 26,, 1888..

N, PHERS. Pholn-Lllhogrnpher. Washmgiau. D, C.

Unirsn FEEDING APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING R FIBER-CLEAN|NG MACHINES.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,300, dated June 26,1888;

Application iiled May 4, 1887. Serial No. 237, I06.

15, 1887. No. 182,205; in Spain July 7, 1857, Nos. (will/11,096, and in India August (No model.) Patented in liag xud July 2, 1886, No. 8,706,- in France March .nd September 16, 1887, Nos. 89 and 1,2!0.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED HENRY DEATH,

a citizen of England, residing at Beresford whereby the fibrous leaves or stems can be fed into the machine without danger to the operatorfrom the proximity of his hands to the scutching-wheel, this feeding apparatus being more particularly applicable to machines such as are describedin the specification to the United States patent granted to \V. E. Death,

, dated February 16, 1886, No. 336,395.

Accordingto myinvention, an endless apron or carrier is mounted on wheels'or rollers, the roller at one end being mounted in boxes made adjustable by set-screws, so as to take up slack, and at such a height that the upper surface of the apron or carrier is level with and faces thefeeding-table of the maehine,which is preferably convex or rounded. The leaf or stem or set of these while being scutched is secured to this apron or carrier by means of a clip or holder fixed thereon, this clip being so arranged that the more the stems drag on it the more tightly it grips them. The apron or carrier is advanced or retracted by moving one of the rollers.

The action of the apparatus is as follows: The apron or carrier is moved back so that its holder is at a suitable distance from the machine. then placed upon it, it is held in position by the holder or clip before mentioned. The apron or carrier being then moved forward, the stem or leaf or set thereof is fed to the scutching-machine and a certain length is scutched and cleaned. It is then withdrawn,

and being reversed is again laid upon the apron or carrier and secured thereon by the A. leaf or stem, or a set thereof, being clip, and is advanced so that the remainder of the stem or leaf, or set thereof, is scntehed or cleaned. When this operation is completed,

the apron or carrier is again retracted, the

scutched leaves or stems are removed, and a fresh leaf, stem, or setthereof, is operated on, as above described.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side view, and Fig. 2 is a plan, of feeding apto a scntehing-machine of the kind described in the specification above referred to. Fig. 3 is a broken front view of the clip or holder with its levers raised, showing the serrated 'paratus, according to my invention, applied jaw for holding the material treated, this jaw 6 being represented as if it were raised a little from the lower in order that its serrated edge may be seen, which would otherwise be concealed in the groove of the lower jaw. Fig. 4

is a detail viewof a portion of the mechanism for reversing the direction of motion of the apron or carrier. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the internally-grooved wheel and one of the grooved pinions forming part of said mechanism.

The spindle O, which, by a pulley, B, and belt, B, is driven from the spindle A of the seutchingmachine, has fixed on it a toothed pinion, c, with which gears a pinion, d, having a second pinion, d gearing with it. Both these pinions d d are mounted on a lever, E, which can be moved by hand, and on the axes of the pinions d d are fixed grooved friction wheels or pinions d d, either of which by movin the lever E can be made to bear a ainst 8 a grooved internal rim of a wheel, D, that has handles, so that it can be turned by hand when desired. On the axis of the wheel D are chainwheels round which pass chains carrying transverse bars T, forming an endless apron go or carrier traveling along a supporting-guide, t, at about the level of the rounded feedingtable F of the scutchingmachine. The apron or carrier also passes around a roller, T, having its journal-boxes adjust-able by setserews T,

so that the said pulley can be adjusted to and from the axis of the wheel D to tighten the apron or carrier. On the apron or carrier is placed the clip or holder H, on which are jointed two side levers, h, holding down the upper of two transverse jaws, J, one of which is serrated, and between which the material that is to be scutched is held. The levers It being raised the upper jaw J is lifted by hand and a layer of the fibrous material is laid between the jaws and is firmly gripped by them on lowering the levers h. The lever E being now pushed forward so as to press the friction-wheel (1 against the rim of the wheel D, the chainwheels are made to revolve, causing the apron or carrier T and clip H to advance, and thus the layer of fibrous material is fed over the feed-table F to be acted on by the scutching-machine. This goes on until the clip H has approached the encbdfits forward course, whereupon the lever E is moved back, disengaging wheel (1 from the wheel I) and engaging wheel d" therewith. The wheel D is now driven and the apron or carrier T is moved in the opposite direction, and the clip H with the fibrous material is retracted. On new opening the jaws J the fibrous material can be taken out and reversed in position, so as to be held by the parts already seutched and to have scutching performed on the parts by which it was previously held. hen the lever E is in its middle position, neither of the friction-wheels d d bearing against the rim of the wheel D, this wheel can be turned by hand, so as to advance or retract the clip II, as may be desired.

Although I have described the feeding apparatus as applied to a particular kind of scutching-machine, obviously it is applicable generally for the feeding of fibrous stems and the like toward machines of other kinds and retracting them therefrom.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and the best means I know for carrying the same into practical effect, I claim 1. In a feeding apparatus for scutching or fiber-cleaning machines, the combination of a flexible endless apron, a clip or holder mounted on said apron and provided with side levers,a pair ofjaws,one of which is held down by said levers, and mechanism for moving the apron back and forth, substantially as de scribed.

2. In a feeding apparatus for scutching or fiber-cleaning machines, the combination of an apron or carrier, T, the clip or holder H, the side levers, h, hinged to said clip or holder, the transverse jaws J, the upper one of which is held down by said levers, and means for moving the apron or carrier back and forth, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this th day of April, 1887.

ALFRED H. DEATH.

\Vitnesses:

ALFRED BROMWIOII,

King Richards Road, Leicester. STEPHEN PEAKE,

16 Ann Street, Leicester. 

